Just a quick note to mention I just rewrote two of the PHP scripts that run things around here. Specifically the script that runs the "My Collection" window which randomly displays a music album I own and also the title graphic at the top of every page received complete overhauls.
The "My Collection" window script is substantially lighter and uses less system resources in order to complete its task. I also added a link (view more ») which will spawn a pop-up displaying another album allowing a visitor to browse through a random sampling of my discs. Additionally, the albums that appear should theoretically be more randomised than before due to the algorithm I decided to use this time. The same goes for the title graphic with the attached tagline. I had been noticing that every so often one or neither of these items would display at all or throw an error message.
The speed increase may not be noticeable, but I am happy to have recoded these two scripts myself and hopefully increased overall site efficiency. As always if you do notice something awry, please let me know so I can check it out and beat the offender into submission.
Ask not what your spam can do for you
There seems to be a new wave of spam, this time originating or purporting to originate from the political spin camps of the 2004 US Presidential candidates. Over the course of the past month or so I have noticed several unusual referrers. Upon further investigation I discovered these sites were the campaign websites for candidates such as Wesley Clark, Dick Gephardt, John Kerry and Dennis Kucinich. It is not unusual for me to find spammed referrers in my statistics, but at least they are for more traditional spam products like pornography and penis enlargement paraphernalia. If the world of politics has finally realised that the internet is a great tool in order to reach voters and possible supporters, they have simultaneously found surreptitious ways to garner attention to their movements. But then again it does seem somewhat fitting that I group politicians in the same damned bracket as porn and penises.
In other news, I am working on the new website for my
side-business and am pleased with the progress I have made so far. This incarnation of
Mount Sutro was the last site I developed, so it has taken me a little bit to get back into that groove. I also recreated my company logo using Adobe Illustrator 10 replacing the original I had created with Photoshop. This is my first experience with Illustrator and all I have to say is I wish I would have installed this program sooner. Day job-wise, between inventory (which came close to being a disaster) and the holiday season I have been very busy. Despite all that work has continued to be different, but enjoyable.
My New Year's plan of staying at home with a pizza and a raspberry cosmopolitan was up-surged by the request of a friend to attend the
Parliament House's celebration featuring
Jody Watley in concert. It was an all right time though I did get a little emotional and reflective, perhaps partly due to my having been just slightly intoxicated.
Finally, my birthday is coming up falling on a Thursday this year. This
twenty-ninth I believe my plan will be to have dinner with my family and then head off to Southern Nights with some friends. This is all still very tentative and depending on my mood are subject to change at any time. I will try to get things settled in my head soon though so I can send out e-mail invitations to those who may be in town and wish to attend. Feel not badly about an inability to attend as I am sure come Friday the thirtieth I will not remember if you were there or not. Just kidding. And despite the flack I get from my mostly older friends, twenty-three is starting to feel older. I see people out at the club that I first saw when they were only fifteen and sixteen. Yuck. But oh well, unlike many people I do not (at least for now) view thirty or any other age as the seal of death.
That special time is nearly upon us once again. Now that Santa is done with his rounds it is time for you to make your list and check it twice... your New Year's resolutions list, that is. After having a few non-ideal years behind me I am quite ready for 2004 and am viewing it as the opportunity to start fresh in a few aspects of my life.
For those who know me personally, I am the type of person who comes up with really great ideas and goals and often does not follow-though completely with them, especially when it comes to self-matters. Incidentally that is one of the things I am hoping to work on during the course of this next year. I am working on reorganising my things, throwing away lots of stuff I would never have parted with prior. I bought some nice, yet simple items for myself like candles and incense. Wardrobe is next. I am on the road to getting back on my feet financially. I am finally replacing my electronics that were destroyed now over a year ago. I have been working on building my side business to the point where its income will be a nice secondary source of funding in the future. I am happy being single and not dating anyone. I am working on internally saying goodbye to someone who has made it clear for a while now that they do not care about me whatsoever. I am looking forward to the future whereas before I was either completely apathetic or entirely too self-destructive. I actually have a more positive outlook on things these days. And nothing could make me happier.
Happy New Year to you all.
Gifts Received:
Purchased by and for myself:
I decided to finally go through the large, black plastic garbage bag I had placed all of my personal belongings into when I had to remove them from my previous car before signing its ownership to my insurance company. Despite the fact the accident happened 16 May 2003, this bag of mostly paper happily sat undisturbed under my bed since then without my having given it a second thought. My cleaning and laundry today prompted me to look inside and so far it has been an interesting experience.
Here is a list of all the things that were in my car when it (and almost I) met our maker. Along with the standard items, there are a few that I am finding very interesting to find. They are in no particular order.
- Maps of Orlando, Jacksonville and Florida
- Assorted pens and lighters
- My squeegee
- Key chain with keys
- Chick-fil-a stuffed cow ("Save R Hides. Eat Chikin.")
- Empty bottle of CK-One fragrance
- PC keyboard (sans several keys)
- Mardi-Gras beads
- My pocketknife
- Two beverage mugs
- Check written for my car payment, but never deposited
- Assorted Southern Nights coupons/newsletters
- Driving directions to Jacksonville (07 August 2001; the trip during which I decided to move there)
- Assorted receipts, coupons and napkins
- Accident inspection report of loss
- Chalk baggie (for billiards)
- Photographs of my car, dashboard gauges and one from 04 July 1999 of me with then-boyfriend Chaz, Chris and Jill at my house during an Independence Day party
- Gas receipt (12.026 gallons) with "400 miles!" written on it
- Fortune cookie insert ("Success is on its way to you")
- Receipt for the dinner I purchased for my first date ever on Valentine's Day
- 31 sets of directions (or maps) and telephone numbers to "friends"
- $13.13 in coins (yes I counted – glad I am not superstitious)
Looking at some of the above in more detail really brings me back to up to two years ago. I was a pretty different person back then, I think. I am really glad I was not more on top of keeping my glove box cleaned out now that I have had the chance to view this time capsule.
